AEW wrestling brought the fifth edition of All Out to a sold-out Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on September 26. Will Ospreay headlined the card looking to finally defeat Jon Moxley and keep the Men's World Championship in play while several title matches gave the night a business-first feel.
Now Arena on September 26
The sold-out crowd at Now Arena was the clearest sign that AEW still has a live-event ceiling worth pushing in the Chicago area. That matters because the card was built around the Men's World Championship and two tag title bouts, which are the kind of matches that can carry a pay-per-view and reset a division in one night.
Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley sat at the center of the show, with Ospreay looking to finally beat Moxley while defending his Men's World Championship. The main-event setup was straightforward, and that is usually a good thing for a card that has multiple belts on the line.
Jack Perry and Samoa Joe
"Jungle" Jack Perry added the most human friction to the night when he pinned Katsuyori Shibata for a surprise three count. He then asked "where Samoa Joe is" and called for him to arrive, which turned a routine win into a challenge with a real target.
Hook, Anthony Bowens and Action Andretti then revealed the returning Samoa Joe, and Joe answered Perry's demand for a handshake with a headbutt. Perry won the exchange on the scoreboard, but the beat that followed made clear he still does not look ready to beat Joe without a trick pin and a scramble.
Tag titles and WrestleDream
Cage and Cope met Young Bucks and FTR in a Ladder match for the Men's World Tag Team Championships, while The Brawling Birds and Divine Dominion collided in a Chicago Street Fight for the Women's World Tag Team Championships. Those are the kinds of match types that pull a premium-card audience because they promise decisive finishes rather than filler.
Willow Nightingale and Thekla also fought for a chance to face Mercedes Moné at WrestleDream, giving the show a direct bridge to the next title picture. Queen Aminatana and Mina Shirakawa beat Emily Jaye and Georgia South on Collision on September 19, and Skye Blue and Julia Hart lost to Kris Statlander and Harley Cameron at All Out: Buy In on August 30, but the unanswered result that matters most here is still the same one: Did Will Ospreay defeat Jon Moxley in the main event?
